Combined displaying and dispensing device for linear articles



Aug. 24, 1937. R. 1.. DREW COMBINED DISPLAYING AND DISPENSING DEVICE FOR LINEAR ARTICLES Filed April 25, 1936 I five-11hr Ffa7 b71 LErew Fig.1.

6/ Harvey Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKIE COMBINED DISPLAYING AND DISPENSING DEVICE FOR LINEAR ARTICLES Application April 25,

5 Claims.

This invention provides a combined displaying and dispensing device for linear articles.

More especially it provides for assembling and exhibiting a variety of specimens, of rope, for 5 example, in mutually comparative relation, each specimen being intact with the coil or other supply of its particular variety which is being offered for sale, which usually is a. mass of considerable and cumbersome bulk. It also provides so that the customer in making his selection may take the actual sample which he chooses, as a part of the desired length of that article, measured directly in the apparatus; with consequent advancement of another portion to the display position. The invention is particularly useful as a means for concentrating a number of varieties, in display, of rope or the like merchandise which ordinarily comes in large coils, each occupying considerable space.

Rope, for example, may be carried in stock by a retail dealer in a variety of sizes, and also in varieties of structure, and of grade, or of materials or brands. The supply coils, heavy and bulky, if kept in convenient location for view and examination of customers will take up considerable valuable space. Hence the dealer is likely to store the coils in his basement or other outof-the-way place, and to keep only samples on the selling floor. The salesman, going to cut a length which he believes is like the selected sample, may make an error of selection; and may substitute inferior or different rope from that designated by the customer.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide the general salesroom with an improved advertising-display and sales-rack for ropes whose actual bulk may be stored elsewhere, as for example in the basement.

A feature resides in the provision for exhibit- 40 ing a multiplicity of such in very small floor space in such manner that all can be seen in comparison together, and each can be handled and fully examined, in conjunction with coacting measuring means for any part of this rope display 45 which the customer may select to be cut from the supply; and to leave a fresh intact portion of the supply to serve as a replacement sample.

The invention provides for making the display a spread, so that it can be seen as a whole in 50 association with suitable placarded information or advertising matter and this may refer to individual specimens as Well as to the whole so that a customer sees that he actually gets the rope to which the information refers, and which 55 he selects from among those displayed,

1936, Serial No. 76,368

The apparatus illustrated as embodying the invention has a display stand having a multiplicity of base guides, arranged at intervals in a straight line, each guide being adapted to receive a rope led into it from a supply at a remote location, such as from a basement or lower level, with the ropes extending up through the floor and through the guides to terminal grips a few feet vertically above them. Thus all the ropes stand vertically erect in spaced parallel relation in a plane. A one-way clamp may be associated with each base guide, permitting a free draft of rope from supply, for exhibition by handling, or for cutting off a length, but automatically tending to prevent any part of the rope above the 15 base from slipping backward.

A board surmounting this display approximately in the plane of the ropes has a rear face to hold the rope grips out of view from the front, as also a device for measuring any of these ropes, and also any incidental implements, as calipers, reeling device, tabular information and cutter,all for use of the salesman in dispensing the rope;and has a front face which may be for benefit of the customer, by carrying information cooperating with the display of actual rope specimens. The measuring device is coordinated with the said guides and the displayed portions of ropes so that any individual rope may be se lected and be measured while it continues on the stand, with its base guide serving to guide the rope on this temporary course leading through the measuring apparatus. When a length of rope has been measured, and served by being bound on each side of the place where it is to be cut, the cut may be effected; and the end of rope remaining becomes the new sample.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a rear elevation of a device embodying features of the invention;

Figure 2 is a detail plan of the base guides and clamps of Figure 1, on line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a detail plan of the rail grips of Figure 1, on line 33 of Figure 1.

This application is a division of co-pending application Serial No. 672,970, which matured into Patent No. 2,038,781, April 28, 1936.

Referring to the drawing, a floor of a building is represented at iii, which may be the first floor below which (as in a basement, not shown) suitable supply quantities of rope or of other materials of various sizes or kinds may be stored conveniently and in the customary large reels or coils. On the floor [0 I provide the display stand of the invention, indicated generally at l2, which comprises a base [4 and a frame l6 surrounding a plane display area l8, above which an extension 16 of the frame carries a device, including a wheel 40, for dispensing any one of the numerous ropes displayed in the plane, by guiding the draft and discharge of that rope from Whatever of the numerous in-take positions it occupies at the base; and also this extension l6 carries an advertising plate 30 hiding the dispensing apparatus from front view. This extension IB may also carry, and likewise hide, a rope measuring device 20. Base l4 may be hollow and may be secured rigidly to the floor. Its top wall is provided with multiple openings which may be through guiding nipples 22; and the floor In, directly under the base, is arranged, as by openings II or a long slot, for passage of ropes l5 from the supply coils in the basement to the display stand l2.

In a preferred embodiment, the multiple openings in base I, are arranged side by side in a single row along the base, and each opening is made to constitute a guide for a rope, Whether that rope passes thence vertically upward across the display area l8, or whether it makes a rather abrupt turn, as from the right of Figure 1, on a course leading to the dispensing wheel 48 and measuring device 20 located on the cross bar [7 of the frame extension l6 above the display area. For the smooth running of the rope suitable guide pieces 22 may be provided, in the nature of short pieces of piping with smoothed or chamfered throats, one for each of the base openings; or a single multiple-guide piece may be employed; and the ropes I5 below the floor l0 will naturally be suitably guided from their respective locations of supply which may occupy any convenient positions.

Preferably the ropes may be led into stand l2 in a definite mutual relation, graded in succession as to size or kind.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, each rope extends vertically upward out of its base guide 22, across the display area l8, and, as seen from the front, disappears at the top of that area. But if it were desired that the ropes be supplied through a wall, or down through a ceiling, in reaching the display area, corresponding guides might be otherwise located suitably in relation to that area. And, for example, in the case of a wall entrance, the ropes might extend horizontally through the display area.

The up-from-below form here chosen for representation has a cross support immediately above the display area, at the rear as seen from the front, by which support the displayed portion of the rope may be suspended. This support may be an angle bar 2*! extending across frame l6, notched in V-shape as at 28 The notch, being of suitable angle, will hold any of the various sizes of rope; yet the rope may be easily disengaged.

The stand i 2 carries a rope measuring mechanism 2G in coacting relation to the dispensing wheel 40. Preferably it will be above the display area l8 and behind the face plate 30, or in any desired relation to the ropes on display. The measuring mechanism may be of any suitable sort, that illustrated being a known variety in which an indicating wheel or disk 32 is rotated in association with a fixed pointer 35. Wheel 32 has a toothed periphery in mesh with gear 36 on shaft 38, and is rotated by means of a wheel 40 on the shaft 38 over whose periphery the rope to be measured is drawn, while a fioating wheel 32, with grooved periphery, coacts to hold the rope in frictional driving engagement with wheel 40.

Any one of the displayed ropes may be selected and be Withdrawn from its suspending support 24 28 for examination or for draft. In the latter case the rope end may be threaded between the wheels 40, 42 of the measuring apparatus, With the rope engaging around the periphery of dispensing wheel 3 for the measuring. As the rope is drawn through mechanism 20 the indicating wheel 32 and fixed pointer show the length of rope passing the mechanism. After a desired length has been drawn, suitable bindings may be applied, one in advance of and one in rear of the point where the rope is to be cut. By a suitable cutter, indicated at M, the cut may be effected between the bindings, which then serve to prevent unwinding of the rope at each cut end. The portion of rope which was on display, and which may have been examined and selected by a customer, is included in the piece measured and cut for that customer. On the one hand he actually gets the rope of his selection, with no possibility of error or substitution; and on the other hand the device makes it probable that the customer has had a wider range of choice, for the concentration of the display coupled with the banishment of the supply encourages the dealer to carry and display a larger stock of varieties.

After the cutting, the rope from which the piece has been cut may now be returned to its proper display position in the stand, by inserting its end in a V-notch 28 Each of the guides 2;? serves to iii: rope to its display stretch and to maintain that stretch in proper relation to adjacent ropes. Also each said guide performs a guiding function for its rope on the temporary course it may take through the measuring apparatus. Furthermore, the coordination of the dispensing device with multiple ropes displayed in spaced relation all in the same vertical plane, permitting any one of the multiplicity of ropes to reach the dispensing apparatus through a straight course from its base guide 22, eliminates possibility of kinking, and ensures a free and easy advancement of rope from the supply coil stored in the basement or in any other desired place Where it will not be taking up valuable floor space, or be detracting from the general appearance of a show room or the like.

If a guide 46 be provided adjacent to the wheel 4!! of the dispensing apparatus, this will guide a rope from one of the base guides 22 to wheel 40 and hold it thereon.

I prefer to take the weight of the rope below the guide 22 oil of the suspending means 25 23. To this end, and also to ensure against a rope being allowed inadvertently to drop through the base, I may provide the rope engaging dogs in the base, as seen in Figures 1 and 2. Each of these dogs is pivoted as at 56 and extends at an upward incline into engagement with its rope, through a vertical slot as at 52 in guide 22 The dog 48 permits upward travel of a rope, but prevents downward travel thereof by pinching or biting into the rope whenever downward travel of the rope is attempted. Thus these base grips suslni tain the weight of the rope below, leaving only displaced portions to be sustained by the upper suspension support 24 28 The base [4 preferably rises an appreciable distance above the floor, thereby providing a face area suitable for bearing advertising or informative data, and adapted also to protect the portions of the ropes adjacent to the floor against becoming soiled by dirt and water when the floor is being swept or mopped.

While herein described as it may be used for rope, the apparatus is useful for other linear articles, as for example other varieties of cordage products, upholstery or curtain cord or other cords or cables, insulated or other electrical wires, rubber tubing, garden hose, etc. As is clear from the drawing, the dispensing and measuring wheel d6 stands in a vertical planar-y zone which zone passes between the guide bar 36 and that cross support M which has the notches 25% holding the ropes which rise side by side in the same zone from the base guides 22. The wheel must have a cylindrical surface in order that its measuring shall be accurate for all sizes of rope, and this involves danger of the rope running sidewise off the Wheel, especially since those ropes coming from base guides at a lateral distance must approach obliquely to the fixed location of the measuring device, crossing other ropes in order to reach the entrance to the meter. The guide 56, parallel to the planar zone, standing at a location a little above the rope-end holders 23 and confining the running rope to the vertical zone between itself and the cross-support 2 1 in which zone the wheel operates, causes the rope running from any of'the base positions to enter the meter in the plenary zone in which the metering wheel surface is positioned and is running.

I claim as my invention:

3.. Apparatus for the display and dispensing of ropes and the like, comprising a support and a row of devices held thereby in spaced relation to each other, each of which devices is adapted for engaging and holding the end portion of one rope;

' a row of rope guides and supporting means therefor, means extending between and secured to said support and to said supporting means to fix said supporting means at an appreciable distance from and below the ends-holding row, the said distance providing an area for rope-display between the two said rows; each said guide being adapted for positioning the entrance of a rope into said display area, and there being a ropeengaging means for a rope, operatively mounted on that side of the display area from which the rope enters, for preventing retraction of the rope; each said holding device being adapted also for the releasing of its held rope-end, for the examining and for the dispensing of that rope; and the said guides severally being located in positions, relative to the positions of the holders of the ends of their respective ropes, such that those guides and holders coact for aligning in parallelism those portions of the guided ropes which are displayed between said guides and said endholders.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 further characterized in that the end-holders are provided by a member having a series of notches Whose sides engage the sides of their respective ropes, and whose mouths for receiving and releasing rope are open to horizontal movement of the rope.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 further characterized in that the rope engaging means on the entrance side of the display area are self-acting one-way rope checks.

4. Apparatus for the display and dispensing of ropes and the like, comprising a frame having side uprights, and upper and lower cross members, between which is an area for rope-display; a row of devices on said upper cross member, each of which is adapted for engaging and holding the end portion of one rope and for releasing the same, and is provided with a lateral opening through which its held portion of rope may be handled out laterally from the holder; and a row of rope guides at said lower cross member for positioning the entrance of a rope into said display area; and the said guides severally being located in positions, relative to the positions of the holders of the ends of their respective ropes, such that these guides and holders coact for aligning in parallelism those portions of the guided ropes which are displayed between said guides and said end-holders.

5. A rack for the display, sampling and dispensing, on a floor, of multiple varieties of ropes and the like, of which the stocks in trade are bulky masses, one stock for each variety being kept below the floor, said rack comprising a frame adapted to rest on the floor and having side uprights spaced apart at a little distance from each other, constituting the side limits of an upstanding planary zone above the floor which has space open laterally for rope display; means high in said planary zone, extending across between and supported by said uprights; and a multiplicity of rope holding devices supported by said means in a row across said zone; each said device being adapted for upholding the end portion of one of the ropes of said stock in trade, as a sample in the display space; these said holding devices being thus assembled within a linear span which is shorter than any'dimension Within which the bulks of their respective said stocks in trade could be assembled; there being in the floor a hole whose wall is adapted for guiding each rope from its said stock position below the floor toward its said sample position in the display space beneath said rope holders; the rack being open beside the rope holders for lateral movement of rope ends and rope sample portions, away from the display plane when released from their said holders.

RALPH L. DREW. 

